Casey Goodson Jr. biography: 10 things about Columbus, Ohio man

Casey Christopher “Tank” Goodson Jr. was an American gun rights advocate from Columbus, Ohio, United States. He was killed by Michael Jason Meade, a deputy from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Franklin County, Ohio.

After a dental appointment on the morning of December 4, 2020, Goodson stopped at Subway on his way home to buy sandwiches for himself, his grandmother Sharon Payne, then 72, and his younger brother. Carrying a legal handgun, Goodson had just unlocked the front door of his grandmother’s house on Estates Place in Columbus when he was shot by Meade, who was searching for a fugitive in an unrelated case.

There were five adults and four children in the house. The shooting was witnessed by Payne, who called 911, and two toddlers near the door.

“My grandson just got shot in the back when he come in the house,” Payne told the dispatcher. “I don’t know if he’s okay or not ’cause he’s still out there.”

Who was Casey Goodson Jr?

Goodson was one of the African-American people killed in the U.S. by white police officers during the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which earned the ire of Black Lives Matter protesters. Here are 10 more things about him:

1. He had no criminal record. He was never a target of an investigation and was never accused of committing a crime either.
2. He is Kaylee Harper‘s brother.
3. He is the eldest among the 10 children of Casey Christopher Goodson Sr. and Tamala Payne.
4. He has a younger brother born in 2015.
5. On January 16, 2019, he obtained his Ohio license to carry a concealed weapon in Franklin County. It was supposed expire on January 16, 2024.
6. In 2019, he trained to become a truck driver. He obtained a commercial driver’s license and worked as a truck driver.
7. On January 30, 2020, he turned 23.
8. After the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020, his driving opportunities slowed down. He then worked at The Gap and he was saving money with a plan to put up a business someday.
9. On December 4, 2020, he was taken to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus where he was pronounced dead. According to the preliminary autopsy results released by Franklin County coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz, the cause of his death was homicide and he died from multiple gunshot wounds in his torso.
10. On December 6, 2020, a GoFundMe page was set up by his sister Kaylee on behalf of their grandmother.